10 New DIY Skills You Can Learn Online This Year

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If you always scroll through Pinterest gawking at all the cool DIY projects and ever think to yourself "man, I wish I could do that," then it might be time to take a crafty class.

Desk of an artist

Desk of an artist with lots of stationery objects. Studio shot on wooden background.

Photo by: Graphic: Erica Reitman

Graphic: Erica Reitman

The good news? You don’t even need to leave your house to learn handlettering or flower arranging! Many DIY classes are now available online. We've rounded up some of our faves, and we promise that each one is crafty to the max.

Macrame

Macrame goddess Emily Katz has a fun class that teaches you macrame basics with an easy starter project: a keychain. Once you have the stitches down, you can graduate on to macrame wall hangings, plant holders or even belts.

I was lucky enough to take an in-person class with Emily, and her macrame skills are truly inspiring.

Crochet

This beginner course takes you through all the ins and outs of crochet. (See what I did there?) You’ll learn how to properly hold your crochet hook, what supplies you need to get started and how to crochet your own unique “granny square.” By the end of the course you’ll have the chain stitch and slip stitch down, and you'll be able to apply what you’ve learned to create your own granny square crocheted blanket.

Sewing a Skirt

In this quick, project-focused course, you'll learn how to create your own tutu or tulle-type skirt. This is a simple, beginner-level project (no zippers are included; just an elastic waistband). You'll even get instruction on how to include a proper lining. The flexible pattern allows you to include variations of the skirt, no matter what your measurements are.

Hand Embroidery

Jenny Hart’s tagline is: “this ain’t your gramma’s embroidery,” and all of her projects make good on that promise. In this class she teaches the basics of her modern embroidery techniques including how to properly hold your hoop, needles and supplies needed, and inspirational ideas for embellishment. By the end of the class you'll be able to jazz up a simple shirt or tank with truly unique embroidery details.

Leathercraft

This beginner-level class will teach you how to sew with leather, the basics of hardware placement, as well as the differences between the types of leather you can work with. By the end of the class, you'll have the skills to create your own chic, handmade leather wallet.

Mixed Media

If you’ve always been curious about collage and mixed-media projects, this is a fab beginner-level course to dive into. This course focuses on creating a piece of art; however, the techniques could be easily applied to other projects such as art journaling. You’ll learn how to create an easy base for your mixed media piece, how to use stencils and other textures, as well as how to use crayon wax and beeswax on your collage.

Hand Lettering

This course will teach you all the basics of hand lettering and will also send you a daily email prompt to help you as you work toward improving your lettering skills. In addition to the lettering techniques you'll learn, you'll also get instruction on how to convert your hand-drawn letters into a Photoshop or Illustrator file so you can enlarge and print your artwork, apply it to other mediums or even use it layered on top of photos and other graphics.

Art Journaling

If you've been curious about art journaling but feel overwhelmed by all of the options, supplies and techniques, this would be a great class to start with. This site's courses focus primarily on scrapbooking and memory keeping, so this particular course has some great ideas in terms of subject matter, inspiration and new techniques for making your journal truly unique.

Tarot Reading

I’ve always been curious about tarot cards and how to use them, so this course really grabbed my attention. Over eight weeks, you’ll learn all about tarot, the meanings behind each card, how to interpret them and how to create a unique reading experience that is all your own.

Floral Arranging

If you're flower obsessed like I am, this class should be on your must list: learn the basics of how to put together beautiful flower arrangements. By the end of the class you'll have a French hand-tied bouquet (perfect for gift giving), a wild English garden arrangement and even a bridal bouquet. You'll also learn all the basics about how to choose your flowers, make them last longer and all of the tools you'll need to become a flower arranging ninja.